


And The Kingdom Lights Shined

by kantamu



Category: B1A4
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-06
Updated: 2013-01-06
Packaged: 2017-11-23 22:10:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/627050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kantamu/pseuds/kantamu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's two sides to every coin and more than that to every dice. Jealousy is unbecoming, and Chansik is meddlesome.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And The Kingdom Lights Shined

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for for Ty to Kelley for beta <3 I'm just going to suggest 'This Time Is Over' as bg music for the last two or three sections just because >:

Jinyoung first notices in his second year of highschool when he wakes up to find a purpling bruise running down the length of his arm. "You hit the wall?" his friend Dongwoo suggests when Jinyoung mentions it to him quietly at breakfast that morning.

"Walls aren't sharp," Jinyoung says, tracing idly at the angry red scrape with one finger.

Dongwoo glances at Jinyoung over the bowl of oatmeal he's in the middle of inhaling. "I don't know, you sleep walk?"

Jinyoung rolls his eyes and takes his tray to the counter first.

A weight lands on his back, and Jinyoung responds with a grunt as cool hands cover his eyes. Jinyoung sighs and pats the person awkwardly on the hand. "I know it's you, Channie," he says.

There's a half-hearted whine before Jinyoung gets his sight back and Chansik stands, letting Jinyoung straighten. "How did you know?" Chansik asks, spinning around Jinyoung to stand in front of him, a pout on his lips.

Jinyoung smiles. "Magic," he says.

Chansik's eyes open wide. "Actually?" he asks, appearing younger with mock astonishment than he already was, before dissolving into a fit of giggles. "Magic doesn't exist," he declares confidently, giving his head a little jerk to dislodge bangs that had fallen across his eyes.

"Of course not," Jinyoung agrees. He chuckles at Chansik's antics, rubbing subconsciously at his arm in an attempt to quell the quiet throbbing, stopping when he notices Chansik staring curiously at him. "Hm? What is it?"

"Are you hurt?" Chansik asks, pointing at Jinyoung's arm.

Jinyoung shakes his head. "No, not at all." His arms fall to his side.

Chansik nods, but his gaze lingers skeptically on the bruise just visible past the edges of Jinyoung's sleeve, a frown building on his features.

"Don't you have class this morning?" Jinyoung says.

Chansik groans and wrinkles his noise. "I do. I don't want to go."

Jinyoung quirks his lips indulgently and twirls Chansik around by the shoulders. "Go," he says, giving him a gentle shove.

Chansik sighs but does as he's told, walking away with a betrayed look and a wave. Jinyoung notices Dongwoo scrape back his chair and this time, waits for Dongwoo.

"So let me get this straight," Dongwoo says once he's left his tray on the counter and they're walking to the lounge to kill time before their first class. "You think that there's another you in another world and somehow everything is linked together. I don't know Jinyoung, doesn't that sound just a little, well, odd?"

"Of course," Jinyoung replies. He grins at Dongwoo. "I was just joking."

Dongwoo arches a brow, fixing Jinyoung with an incredulous stare. "I don't know why I put up with you," he says.

"Because of my charming personality and wit," Jinyoung says. "And because I have the key to the student council lounge."

"I can't believe anyone trusts you enough to be on the student council at all."

Jinyoung laughs, and unlocks the door. "Charm and wit, Dongwoo. Try it sometime."

 

-

 

( _He winces as he falls to his knees, scraping the skin off the palm of his hands. He glances over his shoulder—a plume of smoke rises above the castle. The sun's slipped from its precarious perch while he'd been fleeing from its predicament, but a dull orange still paints the walls on the top of the hill. He sits back on his heels, wrapping fingers around the gash in his sword arm, eyes closing in a moment of brief rest. There's no one behind him. He can afford it—he _has_ to afford it, even if he can't. The bleeding has slowed to a sluggish ooze but it burns to the bone and if Jinyoung were to be honest with himself it wouldn't do him much good in another fight._

_"I don't think it will either." A voice speaks up from in front of him, and Jinyoung staggers to his feet, lips curling in surprise. "Not that it did so well in the first one, hm?"_

_"_ You! _" he says, but is cut off with a quiet giggle. The figure tugs the hood further down in front of his face and takes a step towards Jinyoung, movements blurred by dusk. Jinyoung holds his place, staring at where eyes should have been._

_Another laugh, and Jinyoung's stomach clenches with unbridled hatred. For what this thing, this _creature_ , this sorry excuse for a mage had done. For what Jinyoung hadn't been able to do. As if on cue, he chuckles again. "How's your arm?" he says. "Can you hold a sword? Oh? No? That's a pity. I thought we could play again."_

_"Shut. Up." Jinyoung's fingers curl into a fist—his arm jerks to his chest, fire tearing through raw nerves. A quiet rumble through the soles of Jinyoung's boots has him jerking his glance behind him, just in time to see one of the towers crumble, as neatly destroyed as if a dragon had uprooted it from bottom up. Delighted clapping brings his attention back, although the hooded figure stills once he's caught Jinyoung's gaze again, a complacent grin stretching across his face unseen._

_"Your_ friend _isn't going to save you this time, is he?" he says, a shiver in his cloak as his head tilts, an unwelcome emphasis. "Where is he, anyway? Did you leave him behind? After all he's done for you? You're not a very good_ friend _are you?" Shadow conceals the figure's expression, but the distinct impression of a smirk grates, words dripping with a superiority that holds Jinyoung in place, despite not moving a finger._

_Jinyoung snarls. "Didn't I tell you to shut up?" He reaches for the short dagger still sheathed in his belt, his sword long discarded, even before his sword arm had been rendered useless. All the training in the world couldn't have prepared him for real battle—it had cost him dearly. It had cost them all dearly._

_"You think you can hurt me?" he asks, and laughs. It's quiet, bubbling and taunting and familiar and finally, Jinyoung snaps. He dashes forward, covers the three steps between them, ignoring the searing pain in his arm as he charges, and plunges the dagger into the person's shoulder. His momentum sends them tumbling, Jinyoung's head striking the cobble stones, stars behind closed lids and a wave of nausea accompanying the sharp blow. They come to a rest a few moments later, the dagger still embedded in his shoulder, Jinyoung pinning him to the ground, his breathing heavy._

_"You bastard," Jinyoung growls, words choked out between desperate gasps for breath._

_The boy draws the blade out of his shoulder, steel grating against bone. The sound grates against Jinyoung's ears. He tosses it aside, and shoving Jinyoung off, smiles._ )

 

-

 

"Dongwoo—"

Jinyoung sits up abruptly, head pounding and mouth dry, his heart beating as if he'd just run a marathon—which was something he'd never do. His roommate is awake already, and he gives him a strange look before taking his toothbrush and towel to the bathroom.

"Ugh...ow." He hasn't had a headache like this since first year when someone convinced him that downing ten shots in a row was a good idea, and that had been after he'd been sufficiently drunk enough to even consider that it anything but a terrible idea. Come to think of it—

"Sunwoo? What happened last night?"

"Mmf?" His roommate stuck his head out the door, pulling his toothbrush out of his mouth. "Oh. You fell asleep and Dongwoo carried you back. Basically."

"I feel like you're leaving out something important here," Jinyoung says skeptically. 

"Oh only the part where the two of you made out and a, ah, _few_ people filmed it!" Sunwoo laughs and pulls his head back into the washroom, kicking the door shut with a bang.

So that explains the headache.

Jinyoung groans and falls back onto the bed, tugging the blanket over his head. Sunwoo was never going to let him live this one down. Never mind that it wasn't as if things hadn't been bordering awkward with Dongwoo already in the first place. 

The bathroom door opens, and bedsprings creak as Sunwoo sits down. "Don't you have somewhere to be today?" he asks.

"No," Jinyoung replies automatically, before backtracking. He groans. "Yes. Group meeting at noon, what time is it?"

"Eleven," Sunwoo says.

Jinyoung groans. "Shit."

"Yup! Anyway, I'm meeting Junghwan for lunch, so I'll catch you tonight?" Jinyoung reluctantly drags the blanket off his face just as Sunwoo stands, stuffing his laptop into his bag. There's a knock at the door, and Sunwoo catches Jinyoung's eye and grins. "I'm off," he says, flashing Jinyoung a thumbs up before swinging his bag over his shoulder and opening the door.

Sunwoo disappears, and Dongwoo steps by to let him pass before walking in himself and shutting the door behind him. "Sorry, should I come back later?" he asks, when he sees Jinyoung still in bed.

Jinyoung shakes his head and sits up, waving Dongwoo over to Sunwoo's bed. "No, I have to be up anyway," he says.

Dongwoo nods and sits down, fiddling with the edge of the bed spread and looking altogether uncomfortable. Jinyoung rests the balls of his feet on the floor, bouncing his heels up and down as he watches Dongwoo.

"So—"

"I think—"

Their gazes accidentally lock for a half-second too long, and Jinyoung laughs a little. "Go ahead," he says.

Dongwoo makes a face. "Is this where I apologise?" he asks.

"What?" Jinyoung frowns, and Dongwoo rubs at the back of his neck under Jinyoung's scrutiny. "From what Sunwoo told me, I thought I'd be the one apologising."

"Can we just say that we were both a little drunk and leave it at that?" Dongwoo asks. The tips of his ears are red.

"Do...you want to talk about it?" Jinyoung says. "Maybe we should talk about it. I think this has gone on for long enough."

" _What_ has gone on for long enough?" Dongwoo says. "Seriously Jinyoung, I've known you for how long now, and—" Dongwoo stands abruptly and approaches Jinyoung, frowning.

"Is there something on my face?" Jinyoung asks, amused. To his surprise, Dongwoo nods. Dongwoo reaches out and brushes aside Jinyoung's bangs before he can react. Jinyoung jerks back. "What—"

"Did you hit your head last night? I don't remember you hitting your head." Dongwoo frowns in concern, still peering into Jinyoung's face.

"What are you talking about?" Jinyoung presses tentatively at his forehead, flinching reflexively when his fingers jar what would seem to be a large bruise. "Ow. So that's what you're talking about. And I wouldn't know, last night seems to be a bit of a blur to me, although not to you."

"Ah, about that—"

"First question, was it at least good?" Dongwoo turns bright red this time and starts coughing. Jinyoung laughs, crossing the room to pat Dongwoo on the back.

"Well, you were a little drunk," Dongwoo says diplomatically when he gets his breath back, and Jinyoung hums in understanding.

"So question two, do we ever plan on doing that again when we're not drunk?"

"No!" Dongwoo says, words rushed. "I mean, don't get me wrong Jinyoung, but—"

Jinyoung laughs, patting Dongwoo on the shoulder as he stands. "That one was a joke, Dongwoo," he says.

They make small talk until Dongwoo seems satisfied that all is well and their friendship is safe and not in danger of being smashed into irreparable pieces, and Jinyoung has to get dressed and ready to go to his group meeting.

"Anything planned for dinner?" Jinyoung says, when he's locking the door behind them both. "We're going out tonight—no alcohol—and maybe you'd like to join us."

Dongwoo shrugs. "Who's we?"

Jinyoung hums, tucking his key into his pocket. "Sunwoo, Junghwan, maybe Chansik if he finishes his assignments apparently. The usual place."

"I'll let you know," Dongwoo promises. 

Jinyoung nods. "Then we'll wait for you."

 

-

 

( _The air crackles above Jinyoung's head, an explosion of stardust and flames bursting in front of his eyes just as he's pulled out of the way. The mage boy curses, tugging the hood over his head again as he throws up a hasty shield, fire melting into it harmlessly. Jinyoung struggles to stand, but he's yanked back down, an arm around his waist._

_"Stay here," he hears beside his ear, and then Dongwoo's gone, running in pursuit. Darkness falls quickly after sunset and the usually near-invisible barrier hums a pale blue dome around him. Jinyoung touches it tentatively—it seems to be as much to keep him in as anything out. Jinyoung snorts. Well, he supposes it wouldn't have been fair to make Dongwoo find him again, not when he'd already disappeared once already._

_The cut down his arm had reopened in the scuffle, and the viscosity of blood blinds him in one eye. An ache envelops his limbs. Jinyoung sighs, a wave of light-headedness suddenly overwhelming him as he leans back against the barrier. It pulses lightly in response, but doesn't budge against his weight. The whirlwind of images blurs against his eyelids in the dark, a messy collage of fang and claw and wing joined by flame and sword and the home Jinyoung had known all his life enveloped in terror. Whether he'd ever held it dear or not, home was home. And for Dongwoo, it was everything._

_It doesn't take long for Dongwoo to return, a frown on his face as he waves away the barrier. Jinyoung allows a weak smile as he clambers to his feet, straightening his shirt with his off-hand, his sword arm still throbbing. He rubs at his eyes with the heel of his hand, but gives it up as a futile exercise. Dongwoo bends down and retrieves his dagger as he approaches, giving it a curious look over before handing it back to Jinyoung._

_"He got away?" Jinyoung asks._

_Dongwoo nods. His eyes linger on Jinyoung's face, and Jinyoung brushes his hair across his forehead self-consciously. "He was too fast for me."_

_Jinyoung shakes his head. "Never mind, there's nothing we can do about that for now." He pauses, a reminder of crumbling walls driving his question. "Is the castle...?"_

_"The casualties could have been worse," Dongwoo says hesitantly. "We weren't prepared, after all."_

_"I'm sorry," Jinyoung says._

_"Why did you run?" Dongwoo asks, and Jinyoung lets loose a breath of laughter._

_"We're not all as brave as you," Jinyoung says. The throbbing in his arm is starting to subside, but Jinyoung can't quite tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Dongwoo stares at him, so Jinyoung nods at his belt. "I lost my sword," he admits._

_"You could have—never mind. Come on, I'll take you home." Dongwoo walks past Jinyoung, expecting him to follow. When Jinyoung doesn't move, Dongwoo stops as well._

_"Why are you here?" Jinyoung asks. He doesn't turn around. "You were supposed to be guarding the castle."_

_"There was nothing left to guard against. We killed the beasts. You drew away the mage."_

_"What about walls? What about the injured?"_

_"Just go home, Jinyoung. Someone needs to take a look at your injuries." As if on cue, a chain of fireworks tears up his arm again, and Jinyoung winces. He turns slowly, his eyes meeting Dongwoo's. A pool of weariness greets him, and when Jinyoung looks closer, a desperate sort of sadness sits around the corners that Jinyoung had never seen before in his friend's eyes._

_"Is your..." he begins hesitantly, but doesn't get that far before Dongwoo shakes his head._

_"Let's just go home."_ )

 

-

 

The lull of the holidays induces Jinyoung into a pleasantly self-destructive pattern of food comas followed by late nights spiked with alcohol, capped by even later mornings that stretch past noon. This morning, there's an extra body on his bed when he reaches for his phone. The display insists on it being half past two so Jinyoung stretches lazily, kicking Junghwan onto the floor in the process.

"Rise and shine," Jinyoung says when Junghwan sits up with a whine. Jinyoung smiles at him from under the blankets, Junghwan giving him a hurt look as he clambers reluctantly to his feet. Across the room, Sunwoo's bed is empty—Junghwan pounces as soon as he notices, an unholy noise of glee as he burrows under the unmade covers.

"You could try _getting dressed_ ," Sunwoo comments from his desk, leaning back in the chair. Unlike Jinyoung, Sunwoo's managed to keep a regular sleep schedule, and has probably been up for hours already.

Jinyoung stifles a yawn as he sits up, blankets bunching at his waist and a wave of cool air immersing his bare arms, raising goosebumps on his skin. "So why's he here again?" Jinyoung asks, casually jerking a thumb in Junghwan's direction.

"You could always ask _me_ ," Junghwan grumbles. Jinyoung quirks an eyebrow in his direction. Junghwan frowns and pulls the blankets tighter around himself.

"He got locked out of his room last night so I told him he could sleep on your bed," Sunwoo answers for him anyway, grinning. "Hey, you're tiny. It's not like you take up much space."

"I feel like I should be offended," Jinyoung says. 

"I want to _sleep_ ," Junghwan says.

Sunwoo laughs at the both of them. "I stand by what I said about getting dressed." Someone knocks on the door and Sunwoo glances at Jinyoung, pushing back his chair at the same time.

"I'll get it," Jinyoung says with a shrug. Junghwan takes the opportunity to burrow entirely under the blankets this time. Sunwoo takes the opportunity to reach over and pull the blankets off the bed.

"Well good morning to you." The immediate look on Dongwoo's face when Jinyoung opens the door prompts a laugh. "Were you expecting someone else?"

"I...Chansik said you'd probably be sleeping," Dongwoo mumbles. Jinyoung steps aside to let Dongwoo in, glancing over his shoulder at Sunwoo who just shrugs and Junghwan who finally seems to be making some effort to be awake.

"Few minutes too late for that," Jinyoung comments, shutting the door behind him.

Dongwoo shifts uncomfortably, pulling something out of his bag and walking the few quick strides to where Junghwan is sitting up, still shaking the sleep out of his eyes. "Chansik asked me to return this for him," Dongwoo explains to Junghwan. "He said you'd probably be here if you weren't in your room."

"Oh, thanks!" Junghwan grins, taking the book from Dongwoo's hands. Jinyoung leans against the door, watching the way Dongwoo's back is turned resolutely towards him. It's oddly nostalgic.

"He said you'd probably need it back," Dongwoo says. His fingers fumble as he buckles his bag. "I guess I'll go now."

"See ya," Sunwoo says. He glances at Jinyoung, eyebrows arching upwards. Jinyoung shrugs, and meets Dongwoo's eye for a half-second before he straightens and Dongwoo hurries out the door with a quick goodbye. He closes the door behind himself, and Jinyoung doesn't bother locking it.

"We're using it in class next term," Junghwan is explaining to Sunwoo. "Channie borrowed it because he thought it was cool. It's about unicorns and dragons and wyverns and things like that!"

"For class?" Sunwoo asks skeptically. "Seriously?"

"It's a good class! We're examining the, uh, use of...something...in literature." Junghwan stumbles over his thoughts, pouting before throwing up his arms in frustrating. "Anyways! What time is it?"

"Mythical beasts?" Jinyoung suggests. "And almost three."

Junghwan stares at him. "Seriously? Really? Really? Really? We slept that long?"

Sunwoo picks up Junghwan's phone from where it's lying on Jinyoung's bedside table and tosses it at Junghwan's face. When he fails to catch it, it hits him square in the nose. "Mean!" Junghwan complains, once he's done whining and has his glasses on. "But thanks for letting me sleep over. I have to go now though. Bye!"

The door has barely closed behind the whirlwind that is Lee Junghwan having put his mind to something, when Sunwoo fixes Jinyoung with a hard stare. Jinyoung smiles back in pleasant confusion. Affected confusion.

"So what was that about?" Sunwoo says.

"Chansik borrowed a book from Junghwan?" Jinyoung says.

"No man, Dongwoo hyung. I swear the two of you spend more time not speaking than speaking."

"We're not not speaking," Jinyoung says evenly. "He's just busy."

Sunwoo rolls his eyes, waving him away dismissively. "If you're talking about that girl, he broke up with her two days ago."

Jinyoung's heart traitorously races for half a beat. "That was fast," he says instead. "It hasn't even been a month."

"You think he actually wanted to date her? I'm pretty sure he just didn't want to reject her off the bat. But seriously, what was that about?"

Jinyoung shrugs. "He probably just has things to do—"

"Yeah, like you," Sunwoo chuckles. 

"Cha Sunwoo, I swear to all that is good that if you don't shut up, I will do something drastic." Sunwoo just laughs at Jinyoung's threat, and Jinyoung combs his fingers through his hair in frustration. He needs a mirror. But it's already a mess, how much worse could it get? He drops gracelessly onto the end of his bed with a quiet thump.

"You don't know the half of it," Jinyoung says.

"I don't _need_ to," Sunwoo says. "But hyung, I don't think you know the half of it either, do you?"

Jinyoung stares at Sunwoo's unchanging expression, waiting for it to break out into a smile or a grin or a smirk, but nothing happens. Jinyoung sighs, and walks over to his closet to find a change of clothes. "If you say so," he says to an orange sweater. The sweater says nothing back, and neither does Sunwoo.

 

-

 

( _"His blood was black," Dongwoo comments._

_They're sitting on the edge of the paddock wall, mid summer sun beating down on them. In the distance, the muted work of saw and hammer still echoes, the last of the repairs having yet to be done. Enough time'd passed that the faint hints of grass was beginning to grow on top of the graves, yet more time was still needed before the pain that came with having lost those who lay below them would begin to ease. Dongwoo had lost a father and a brother, although secretly, Jinyoung thought that dukedom suited Dongwoo well._

_"I hope you know I have no idea what you're talking about," Jinyoung says. He reaches down and plucks a handful of grass, tossing it idly at Dongwoo's hair. Dongwoo wrinkles his nose in distaste, plucking the green blades out and letting them flutter to the ground._

_"The boy," Dongwoo says. "The mage. But mages don't have black blood."_

_Jinyoung nods, kicking his heels against the wall. "But dragons do," he says. The thought comes out of nowhere, and the casual ease of his words belie his own surprise. He squints his eyes against the sun, hands clinging to the edges of the wall as he leans back. But Dongwoo was right, of course. A mage was a mage, but when it came down to it, a mage was human—Dongwoo knew that all too well. And Dongwoo knew all the old stories, all the old tales. And as Dongwoo knew, Jinyoung knew too. He exhales. "You think he's a dragon?"_

_"You saw his face," Dongwoo says._

_"He's dead."_

_"But you know what they say about dragons. Time is the same as space to them."_

_"He wasn't powerful enough to be a dragon," Jinyoung says, even as the scar down his arm seems to twinge in memory. He shakes his head. Dragons did not exist—they could not exist, they were too powerful to exist; or at least, that was what Dongwoo had told him once. But Jinyoung doesn't think Dongwoo remembers. "Maybe you just saw wrong. Maybe he was a shape shifter."_

_Dongwoo frowns, mouth open to protest Jinyoung's logic. Someone calls for Dongwoo, and the two of them twist around to see a man waving at them._

_"Looks like you're needed," Jinyoung says._

_"It does," Dongwoo says. They both turn back, staring towards the forest. Ever since the attack, more forest had been cleared so there was a good few fields' length of space beyond the outermost stables. It means that in the morning, the sounds of the birds are quieter than they had been before, and Jinyoung misses it somewhat. Once, he'd lived on the forest's edge. Silence is disconcerting. He says so._

_"I couldn't tell the difference," Dongwoo admits. "The castle has always been quiet."_

_"They want you to get married soon, don't they?" Jinyoung asks._

_"Shards, Jinyoung, did you have to bring that up again? It's not like—"_

_"You don't have to worry about me. Find a nice girl from a respectable family. Father a son. Carry on your bloodline. Especially since—"_

_"Jinyoung." Dongwoo's eyes are shut and his expression drawn, and Jinyoung knows that he's gone too far. He'd liked Dongwoo's brother as well._

_Dongwoo is called for again, and this time, Jinyoung drops down from the wall and into the enclosure. "You should go," he says. "They need you."_

_When Dongwoo squeezes Jinyoung's hand before turning around and hopping down the other side of the fence, Jinyoung pretends that what Dongwoo doesn't say is_ I need you too _._ )

 

-

 

Sometimes, when Jinyoung wakes up, there's an odd sense of dejavue at the edges of his consciousness, but he can't quite place his finger on what or why. This is one of those times. A feeling of loss encroaches on his morning routine, but the feeling always fades sooner rather than later, and all Jinyoung is left with is the memory of a thought he'd had as a kid.

"So like a doppelganger?" Chansik asks when Jinyoung mentions it offhandedly. "Only in another world?"

"Sure," Jinyoung agrees. "Weird thought, isn't it?"

"Hyung, sometimes I don't know what you're talking about," Chansik says, but drops his chin into his hands and mulls it over anyway. Jinyoung reaches over and pats him on the head and is rewarded with an eye roll, and Chansik switching to Jinyoung's side of the table and sitting next to him.

"Dongwoo hyung asked me something similar the other day," Chansik comments after a moment.

Jinyoung allows himself a moment of surprise. "What did he ask?"

Chansik shrugs. "Why don't you ask him yourself? I hope you know that you're both being silly."

"I don't think Dongwoo wants to talk to me right now," Jinyoung says delicately—if implementing measures such as using the third floor bathroom to avoid Jinyoung translated to not wanting to talk. "And it's not being silly."

"Sure it's not, hyung," Chansik says. "And you're avoiding him just as much as he's avoiding you. All he said was that he lik—"

" _Gong Chansik_ ," Jinyoung hisses. He glances around the cafeteria, but there's no one near enough to have heard. "Classified information, remember?"

Chansik looks at him oddly. "Why?"

Jinyoung kind of wants to punch the kid in the face. 

"Look, hyung. You like him, I mean you've liked him since forever, and he likes you, I don't get why you're making this so difficult for yourself. It wouldn't be so hard if the two of you just talked about it."

"The fact that this is coming from you is almost ironic, considering you spent three months hanging outside our peripheral vision waiting for us to talk to you," Jinyoung points out dryly. "But point considered."

Chansik cracks a smile, and leans on one elbow to look up at Jinyoung. "That was different, and that was then. This is now. Anyway, look who's here." Chansik waves to someone behind Jinyoung, and it's with a sinking feeling of suspicion that Jinyoung turns around. Dongwoo stops when he meets Jinyoung's gaze, but smiles nervously and walks over anyway when Chansik beckons him over.

"Hey," Jinyoung says once Dongwoo is within speaking range. "Long time no see."

"Yeah," Dongwoo agrees. He sits down opposite of Chansik, except Chansik swings his legs out from under the table and stands.

"Sorry I have something to do I'm going first!" he says, and sliding his hands into his pockets, walks off, leaving the two of them alone at the table.

"If it makes you feel better, I know you were drunk when you said that," Jinyoung says without taking his eyes off Chansik's retreating back.

"It doesn't," Dongwoo says, "but I'll take it."

"But if this keeps happening I feel like we might be putting something at jeopardy," Jinyoung says lightly. "Like our friendship."

"I feel like that's what you want," Dongwoo says.

"But apparently that's what you want too," Jinyoung replies. He turns back, arms crossed on the table. Dongwoo has his hands on his knees and is sitting stiffly, staring at the table.

Dongwoo shifts, placing his palms flat on the table and finally glancing up at Jinyoung. "I'm not sure..." he begins, trailing off. He sighs in frustration, combing his fingers through his hair. "I'm not sure if it'll work out, Jinyoung, and I don't think this is working either."

"Well I'm glad we agree on at least that much," Jinyoung says. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, actually. Stop Sunwoo from texting me every other hour."

The corner of Jinyoung's lips twitch. "That I can't do. What's he saying? He doesn't even text me that often."

Dongwoo rolls his eyes and pulls his phone from his pocket, scrolling through messages. "Insignificant things, also insignificant things, and, oh, party tonight and can I come."

Jinyoung reaches over and snatches the phone from Dongwoo's grasp, glancing at the conversation himself. "So he's telling you to man up," he says blandly, more amused at Sunwoo's colourful language than the content. He taps out a response and hits _send_ before Dongwoo has a chance to protest.

"I told him you were going," Jinyoung says, handing the phone back to Dongwoo.

"What—no I'm not, I have work to do," Dongwoo protests.

Jinyoung smiles at him. "I think we need to talk about this, and you don't seem to want to do this sober."

Dongwoo worries at his lips, a flash of white between them. "Let's have our own party," he says after a moment.

"Just us?" Jinyoung asks, eyebrows arching up.

"Yeah."

 

-

 

( _"He was Junghwan's friend," Jinyoung brings up one day out of the blue. Dongwoo is sitting across from him at the table, fingers tapping lightly against the wooden surface as he watches Jinyoung. At the mention of his brother, Dongwoo flinches, fingers missing a beat. Jinyoung ignores it, testing the edge of his dagger against his finger, nodding in satisfaction when a thin line of blood wells up red against his skin. He places the dagger flat on his lap as he packs away the small vial of oil and cloths, glancing up at Dongwoo. "The boy. He should have died years ago, but that was him. Older, but him. Which means he didn't die back then. Dead people don't get older, do they?"_

_"No, they don't," Dongwoo agrees slowly. "What are you getting at?"_

_Jinyoung shrugs. He pushes back his stool, walking over to the open window with the dagger, holding it up against the afternoon light. The folds of steel ripple in the sun as he twists it, and behind it, Dongwoo's eyes have not left his face. Jinyoung sheathes it, leaning back against the windowsill with his arms across his chest._

_"That he never died in the first place," he says. "It's possible, isn't it? That he faked his death."_

_"So you're saying that he is a dragon?" Dongwoo asks. From this angle, it isn't hard to see what others see when they look at Dongwoo—his eyes are narrowed in thought, the furrow of his brow lined with a wisdom far beyond their years. It's an easy face to trust, Jinyoung thinks._

_He shakes his head. "No, I'm saying that maybe he's the same person. Or maybe he's a twin." He walks over to the door and pushes it open, glancing over his shoulder to see if Dongwoo will follow. Dongwoo meets his eyes and opens his mouth as if to speak but merely sighs as he scrapes the chair back against the floor and stands._

_"I wish you'd just move into the castle," Dongwoo says as he trails behind Jinyoung._

_"Too far," Jinyoung says. This isn't the first time they've had this argument. Jinyoung already owes Dongwoo his life. Dongwoo owes him nothing._

_"You're too far now," Dongwoo insists. "My—I know the late Duke felt that it would be improper—"_

_"If Junghwan was still here we could have asked him," Jinyoung says. He unlocks the heavy door to the stables, the horses nickering as he walks in. When he turns, Dongwoo is still standing outside._

_"But he's not here," Dongwoo says. His words linger behind him, even as he walks in. "And I played with him quite a bit as well, back then. You could ask me too."_

_"You were too busy studying," Jinyoung says. "Or rubbing elbows with people below your station."_

_He bends down to fill the bucket with feed, and when he glances up through his bangs at Dongwoo, Dongwoo's mouth is set in a line that says he understands the argument is over. A twinge of guilt surfaces just under the surface of his chest—it had been a little underhanded._

_"You mean you."_

_"I guess."_

_Dongwoo sighs, leaning back against the wall of an empty stall as he watches Jinyoung make the rounds. "So what do you want to know?"_

_Jinyoung ducks under the neck of a placid bay mare, stroking her on her nose as he fills her feed. She blows a huff of warm air down his shirt, and Jinyoung pats her affectionately before leaving her stall. Jinyoung puts the empty bucket down, scanning his memory for anything that might stand out. He had seen the other boy around when they'd been children, but other than training alongisde Dongwoo, his time on the castle grounds proper had been few._

_"He was some lordling's son, right?" he finally says. "Which one?"_

_"Sir—I don't remember," Dongwoo admits. "Next question?"_

_"Was there ever anything about him that seemed strange? Inhuman?"_

_Dongwoo frowns. "Not really. He'd follow me around sometimes when Junghwan was busy, but he didn't talk much. Why?"_

_Jinyoung crosses his arms across his chest. "I think this is why Junghwan would have been more useful," he says._

_"Junghwan is_ dead _," Dongwoo grinds out, "and that boy who you're convinced is him is the one who killed him."_

_"You're the one who thinks he's a dragon," Jinyoung replies._

_"But if he is then that changes everything."_

_"Why?"_

_It's Dongwoo's turn to cross his arms, teeth worrying at his lip in consideration. "Because dragons can change the past to change the future, and if he died to change something, then..."_

_"That's an old wives tale," Jinyoung says, unconvinced._

_"Some old wives tales are true," Dongwoo says—except Dongwoo's lips aren't moving when Jinyoung looks up, and he looks just as surprised as Jinyoung does._

_"Hi," the boy says, stepping out from behind Dongwoo. "I heard you talking about me, and I thought it'd be rude if I didn't show up."_

_"You—!" Jinyoung reacts first, dagger in hand before he remembers having unsheathed it in the first place. Dongwoo quickly holds up a hand, a warning to Jinyoung to stop._

_In daylight, the boy is admittedly handsome, with tapered eyes and an unruly mop of hair that still manages to add to his charm. There's something familiar about the way his chin is sloped or his lips quirk upwards in a smile, but it's hazy, and Jinyoung can't quite place it._

_"Maybe because you saw me as a kid?" the boy suggests, reading Jinyoung's question from his mind in that infuriating way of his, but the moment he says it, Jinyoung is sure that it's not the right answer._

_"Why are you here?" Dongwoo asks, interrupting their exchange. "You don't need to be here."_

_The boy waves dismissively, eyes glinting. "If you're worried about someone destroying your home again, don't worry, that wasn't my idea. And it wasn't me. I was just along for the ride...so to speak. Any other questions? Or is it my turn yet? And since you're wondering, I did die back then, but not really. It's a little complicated."_

_"But_ why are you here _?" Dongwoo repeats. Jinyoung doesn't sheathe his blade again, but does let it hang limply beside him. His arm twinges in the memory of pain._

_The boy tilts his head, and smiles widely, eyes twinkling with childish innocence. If Jinyoung hadn't fought him, he might have been swayed. "Because I like you," he says. "Why can't I be here?"_

_"You attacked Jinyoung._ You killed Junghwan _," Dongwoo grits out. "I, we, don't like you."_

 _"I said I like_ you _," the boy repeats. "Not them."_

_"I feel like I should be offended," Jinyoung comments, tightening his grip on the hilt._

_"If you like," the boy says, before turning his attention back to Dongwoo. "But Junghwan figured it out. And we're not supposed to let people figure it out. But you, you figured it out just now." His gaze swings between Dongwoo and Jinyoung, and when their eyes meet, Jinyoung's throat clenches, an unwilling ripple crawling through his skin._

_"That's why you're here," Jinyoung says, the pieces falling together. The boy nods. He exchanges glances with Dongwoo. He doesn't have enough time to charge, and Dongwoo doesn't have enough time to start casting before the boy in front of them disappears, a black void filling the space he'd been in._

_Jinyoung rushes forward anyway._ )

 

-

 

The faint heat of another body beside him draws him awake—the bed is unfamiliar. Jinyoung blinks, rubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand. The curtains are drawn, but morning creeps in from the cracks anyway, and that's more light than Jinyoung can handle right now. A dream is vivid in his memory, but Jinyoung isn't sure if it's the dream that isn't quite a dream, or if his memory that isn't quite a memory. Dongwoo's hand brushes against his—and oh.

Dongwoo.

"Morning," Jinyoung says quietly. "Did you sleep well?"

"Strange dream," Dongwoo says.

"Me too."

Bedsprings creak as Jinyoung turns onto his side. Dongwoo's hair is messy and frames his face oddly. Jinyoung's fingers itch to reach up and brush them into some semblance of order, but he holds them still. "Do you think...?" he prompts.

Dongwoo's lips quirk. "Maybe," he says. "It wasn't just a dream."

Jinyoung laughs. "You're right, I don't think it was."

 

-

 

( _When the dust settles, Jinyoung finds himself surprisingly alive. The boy is sitting in front of him, something approaching a pout on his lips, with his arms crossed across his chest. "You're not supposed to have figured it out this time," he says petulantly when he sees Jinyoung's eyes open. "You were supposed to have been happy."_

_Jinyoung coughs, clearing his lungs. "What do you mean?" he asks. The hilt of the dagger rests lightly in his grasp. The stable is eerily still, and he knows beyond a doubt that the mare behind him is dead. He can still feel her warmth in his fingers. Wood lies splintered around him, and his head is propped awkwardly against a fallen beam. A few handspans away, Dongwoo lies unmoving._

_"It's my fault," the boy continues, as if Jinyoung hadn't spoken in the first place. Jinyoung struggles to focus on his words. "It's my fault because I shouldn't have let you see my blood, since that's how he realised, isn't it? I got carried away—no,_ he _got carried away. There's more than one of me in here, you know. But it's still me."_

_"I don't think...is he dead?" Jinyoung stops midthought, tilting his head towards Dongwoo's still form instead. Dongwoo's arm is draped across his chest, the way he used to sleep. It takes a surprising amount of effort._

_The boy nods. "You should be dead too. Now, I mean. I wish you weren't."_

_"You could have not tried to kill us," Jinyoung says._

_The boy looks at him miserably. "That wasn't _me_ , the first time, at least. And we have rules. This time is because of the rule. I'm sorry, you know. It's because I was jealous. Or because he was jealous."_

_"Jealous of what?"_

_"Jealous of_ you _, what else?" He huffs like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "You got to play with Dongwoo, I only ever got to play with Junghwan. It seemed like it made sense at the time."_

_Jinyoung laughs, and bursts of dragonfire seem to tear through his lungs, up his torso. The world tunnels to a close, his eyes squeezing shut, fingers digging into the palms of his hands. When the moment passes, Dongwoo still hasn't moved. He'd never been a light sleeper. This time, Jinyoung contents himself with a wry smile._

_"Was that it?" Jinyoung says. "Really?"_

_The boy pouts properly this time, and stands, looming over Jinyoung. "Really. And I'm sorry. We're sorry. So don't mess it up this time, okay? We tried to apologise, but then you figured it out anyway."_

_"Right," Jinyoung says. A quiet chuckle escapes from his throat. His eyes drift into darkness, and everything seems insignificant, everything seems miniscule in the grand scheme of things. His limbs are stubbornly unresponsive, but Dongwoo was right, it does change everything. They were supposed to have been happy, he'd said, but Dongwoo is too far to touch. But—"thanks, Chansik."_

_"That's not my name," he hears the boy say. "That's his."_

_"I know," Jinyoung manages, before he slips away altogether._ )

 

-

 

_  
Dongwoo kisses Jinyoung._

_"We're not drunk this time," Jinyoung says, and kisses back._


End file.
